Last Week’s WW: Don’t Let Draft Differences Get You Down

 

 

Which of these do you like best?  I’m going to submit Otherworlders to the new Kindle Publishing when it opens in a couple weeks.  I need a great cover.  If none of these are to your liking, let me know.  If you have suggestions for Otherworlders, that’d be great to hear about, too.

Amazon has recently announced that they will be accepting book submissions to be published by them.  This is different from self-publishing, or the publishing program that they already have. 

From what I understand, it will almost be a crowdsourcing venture.  Not in terms of money, but attention.  The way it works, from the notices that I’ve received is this:

“We’ll be welcoming submissions for English-language books in Romance, Mystery & Thriller, and Science Fiction & Fantasy genres. Any adult with a valid U.S. bank account and U.S. social security number or tax identification number is eligible.
It only takes 15 minutes to complete a submission. Here are the things that you should prepare to successfully submit your book:

• Complete, never-before-published manuscript & book cover image – We’re looking for 50,000 words or more in Word format and a book cover image that reflects the essence and uniqueness of your book. Make sure your work is ready for others to read. Only the first pages will be posted to the website (approx. 3,000 words).
• Book one-liner – A very short pitch (no longer than 45 characters) for your book that will be used on the homepage and throughout the website. Think of examples like “Space opera meets the Middle Ages” or “How far will one woman go to save her family?”
• Book description- Help readers understand the content and quality of your book. Keep the description to 500 characters or less.
• Your bio & picture – Give readers a chance to learn more about you. You will also have a chance to answer relevant questions regarding your book and personal story in a short Q&A section.

We’ll also ask you to review and accept our submission and publishing agreement that grants us a 45-day exclusivity period to post your excerpt and tally nominations. If chosen for publication, you will receive a $1,500 advance, 5-year renewable term, 50% eBook royalty rate, easy rights reversions, and Amazon-featured marketing. If not, you automatically get all your rights back at the end of the 45-day exclusivity period.”

I’m excited about this program.  I hope that they pick up my book.  I think that it’s a great way to get started as a new writer.

Beyond that, Amazon only asks for 5 year rights to your book.  If it isn’t meeting the sales, then you have the option of taking it back.  That’s a lot better than the life + 30 years that traditional publishers give.

I also think, not 100% sure on this, that since Amazon is acting as publisher, there may be some editing received.

You might think, well, $1,500, that’s not much.  This is true.  But from what I’ve researched, it seems that advances have been shrinking a lot, and that that amount isn’t far off base for a one book deal from a first time writer.  As long as there’s no non-compete clause, sign me up!

Oh, and 50% royalties.  Ridiculous(ly awesome)!

You also get the power of Amazon marketing behind you.  That in and of itself probably makes the advance nothing compared to the sales you’ll get from that kind of marketing.  Plus, since your book is basically voted on by the public, you’ll have a good idea ahead of time if it’s actually good and sell-able or not.

All in all, sounds like a great deal.  Got a manuscript?  Submit it once it opens up.